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Vintage Dancer | 1900s Fashion | How to Make a Titanic Dress on a Budget

How to Make a Titanic Dress on a Budget

Edwardian Fashion 1900-1910s

30 Nov 2016
Titanic costumes, DIY from the thrift store

My titanic inspired “swim dress”

I adore Rose’s dresses from the movie Titanic. The Edwardian fashion era was all about showing off your wealth. Dresses were made of fine silk, lace, and hand-beaded chiffon. To make a dress with these materials today would be a big expense. Luckily, it only takes a little creativity to make a simple Titanic dress for under $20.

Titanic movie fans, historical fashion reenactors, and costumers for the Titanic musical will all benefit from these instructions. This quick how-to guide will walk you through each step so that you can be ready for your “Titanic” themed event in no time.

Things You Will Need:

  • Dress
  • Robe
  • Sash
  • Safety Pins
  • Accessories (optional)

Shopping: You may be surprised to find that you already have some or all of the items you need in your closet already. For the remainder of the pieces, I recommend going to your nearest thrift store or vintage clothing store. If you don’t have a thrift store nearby, you can probably go to a department store (Kohls, Target, Macy’s, JC Penny’s, Amazon, etc.) and find all the items in one place. Finally, a trip to a fabric and craft store may be needed for the sash and other decorations.

The Dress Ensemble

The Underdress

Titanic Costume DIY- Examples of good underdresses- long skirts, empire waist, modest neckline

Examples of good underdresses- long skirts, empire waist, modest neckline

Look for a long formal dress, maxi dress, or basic slip dress with a straight shape to the skirt. You can choose whatever color you like, although I would avoid very bright colors if you want your dress to look authentic to the era. The top of the dress should have an empire waist with a horizontal bust line that starts midway between your chest and collarbone. Showing off cleavage was not acceptable at the time (even though you see a lot of cleavage in the Titanic movie). Avoid V-necklines or low scoop necklines at all cost. Modesty is very important in the Edwardian era.

Sleeves can be any length. Traditionally, sleeves were either long or short and snug to the skin. However, since we’ll be covering up the sleeves with a robe, it really doesn’t matter what sleeves come with the dress. Sleeveless dresses are fine, too.

I do not recommended fabric that is metallic or glittery because these are too modern for the correct look. Chiffon, lace, rayon, or polyester blends are the best fabrics. If you find a fabric with a pattern or texture, that is ok, just be sure to choose a plain overcoat to avoid clashing patterns.

There are a few vintage inspired dress brands that are perfect for the Edwardian/ Titanic era. Nataya is my favorite. Have look at them here.

The Overdress or Robe

Short or long, floral or solid satin kimono robes make great overdresses

Short or long, floral or solid satin kimono robes make great overdresses. Shop on Amazon for Kimono robes. 

Create a Edwardain 1910-1915 Titanic era costume. Simple, easy DIY tehcniques suing two dresses gathered different ways. Learn how at VintageDancer.com

Titanic costume varieties by gathering the over dress in several ways.

Next, walk over to the nightgown/lingerie section of the store and look for an unlined silk or satin night robe. A light see-through lace or chiffon robe is also a nice option. Robes can hang down to your thigh or be full length. Find the smallest one that fits, otherwise you may need to do some alterations. I like to choose colors that contrast with the dress. For example a dark coat with a light dress, a light coat with a dark dress, a patterned robe with a plain dress, etc.

Titanic dress costume, DIY

DIY velvet coat made from a bathrobe, over a Nataya dress, paired with DIY hat with feather plumes.

The current trend for Kimono robes (a throwback to the more recent ’70s) is perfect for 1910 to early 1920s styles.  Silk, satin, or chiffon type materials are best for this era. Beaded Kimono coats are late teens to early ’20s style. Shop Kimono coats and wraps here or here.

You could also layer on another tea length dress. I use this technique in this article on DIY Titanic costumes. Find a modest solid or print dress that comes down to mid-thigh or knee and layer it over your underdress.

A final option is a heavy velvet robe with a shawl collar, seen above. I happened to find one in a thrift store that looked perfect for the Edwardian era. I layered it over a nice dress and clipped it with a fancy brooch. Voila! Be warned, heavy robes in summer heat do not mix. : (

The Sash Band

A simple light scarf makes a nice sash band

A simple light scarf makes a nice sash band

For the sash, you use a long silk or satin scarf. Another option is to buy wide satin ribbon or a strip of fabric long enough to wrap around your body and tie. The ideal width is 4-6 inches or wider if you fold it 2-3 times. Many Edwardian dresses had sashes that tied at the back and then hung down to the floor. If you want this look, you will need a lot of ribbon or fabric. You could also wrap and tuck the sash around to create an obi belt. This was the inspiration for many dresses of this era.  Most obis are stiff, so use a piece of cardboard or craft foam to wrap your sash around to create a stiffer waistband.

The sash color is the boldest of the three garments. Try bright pink against navy/silver, yellow against pink/blue, or green against yellow/white. You could also go tonal in color meaning all garments are various shades of the same color. This makes a sophisticated look for mature women. Bright colors would be worn by young women looking to attract a partner.

Titanic Passenger costumes

My sash is pinned and hangs down the back. A pretty effect.

Putting it All Together

A complete Titanic costume

A complete Titanic costume

Slip on the dress, place the robe over the dress, and tie the sash just under the breast and around your ribs. If your fabric is slippery, you may need to pin the sash to the dress from the inside (to hide the pins) as well as in the back to keep the shape of the sash more like a wide band. Now adjust the robe’s front panels to leave an opening wide enough to show off your neck and upper chest.

Alterations and Additions

How to make a Titanic movie "swim" dress at VintageDancer.com

Titanic “Swim” Dress

Be sure to remove the robe belt and cut off any belts loops and ties. Narrow the sleeves if they are too baggy. Traditional sleeves were snug to the skin. Most likely, the robe you find will have baggy “Kimono” style sleeves. These will still look good without alteration. The choice is up to you and your sewing skills.

Add a large flower or brooch to the front sash. Jewelry such as a fancy gold or jeweled necklaces and hair combs can elevate a plain dress nicely. Wear lace gloves at all times (except when eating) and wear a large brimmed hat for outdoor events (think Kentucky Derby style). A parasol in lieu of a hat is also a nice touch. Shoes can be leather boots with a heel, ballet slippers, mules, or low Mary Jane shoes.

DIY Titanic Dress Examples

Layered Swim Dress

Dress Similar to Flying Dress

Blue and Pink Swim Dress

More Titanic Dress Costumes

These are a handful of other DIY Titanic dress costumes I have made. You can see how layering dresses, robes, shawls, and sashes can create an unlimited amount of Titanic era dresses.

 

Titanic costume- Nataya Titanic dress with a bath robe, thifted hat and accessories. Easy!

A rich purple velvet bath robe was the perfect coat to wear over my Nataya Titanic dress. The hat was a thrift store find as well with just a bunch of feathers added to one side.

A slightly modern take on Titanic style using my Nataya titanic dresses, a fringe/beaded shawl, wide floppy hat and Astoria shoes.

A slightly modern take on Titanic dress style using my Nataya Titanic dress, a fringe/beaded shawl, wide floppy hat.

DIY Titanic dress costumes- My friend's two thrifty dresses. (L) A bed sheet was used to sew this dress from a 1900s pattern. (R) An '80s prairie type dresses was trimmed with lace to give it a bit more 1910s day dress style.

My friend’s two thrifty dresses. (L) A bed sheet was used to sew this dress from a 1910s pattern. (R) An ’80s prairie type dresses was trimmed with lace to give it a bit more 1910s day dress style. (Credit to Tina Davis-Hersey)

Titanic dress costume - A short layered chiffon dress with lace top layered over a long white chiffon skirt. A scarf creates the sash.

A short layered chiffon dress with lace top layered over a long white chiffon skirt. A scarf creates the sash.

Thrifty creation. Two dresses layer together with one hemmed shorter to create an overdress

Thrifty creation. Two dresses layer together with one hemmed shorter to create an overdress

Titanic costumes, red dress

Red beaded dress (very similar to the Movie’s red dinner dress) with blue kimono coat and sash.

 

Need help?

If you have any questions about making a dress, feel free to comment below or contact me.

Please, if you make a DIY Titanic dress for yourself, send me a picture! I would love to include more creations from our fans!

debbie
We are Debbie and Oscar, your guides to dressing up like decades past. We are here to help you find clothing online and learn about vintage fashions as worn by everyday people, just like you. Need help with your outfit? Ask us anytime.
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Comments

  1. Tammy says

    July 23, 2017 at 5:35 pm

    Thanks, do helpful. I have always been drawn to the look and creating it will take a little thrift store hunting

  2. Lydia Smith says

    February 2, 2016 at 9:04 am

    This is very helpful. Every time I type “Edwardian fashion” in Google all I seem to come up with are expensive beautiful things and I couldn’t figure out how to do it inexpensively. Thank you very much.Do you know of any additional sites online with suggestions like yours? Thank you.
    Lydia

    • VintageDancer says

      February 2, 2016 at 11:41 am

      I am so glad you found the guide helpful. I do know what you mean about an overwhelming majority of Edwardian clothing online being handmade or vintage with a price tag to match. This time period is very easy to recreate with inexpensive clothing. I intend to do another post with a few more ideas in the next few months. I know I am not the only one who has DIY ideas but I can’t seem to find any articles at the moment. I will keep looking and let you know what I find.

      Some of the 1920s costumes here would also work for the late Edwardian era: https://vintagedancer.com/1920s/1920s-downton-abbey-costume-ideas/

  3. kim says

    March 25, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    Can a stripe robe be used?

    • Debbie Sessions says

      April 3, 2015 at 11:56 am

      Yes. I would suggest a solid color dress underneath.

  4. Zoya says

    May 27, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    This is perfect. Thanks so much. I was looking for a easy to make “Titanic” regency dress for my daughter. She is doing a school project on the Titanic and wants her presentation to be a monologue of one of the passengers. This will help me make a not too expensive dress and won’t keep me slaving over the sewing machine to make a dress that will be worn for 15 minutes. I’m off the my closet and the thrift store.

  5. Linda Wyatt says

    March 17, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    Cheers, Debbie. Will do. We also have the BBC coming along so may be on TV!!

    Regards
    Linda

  6. Linda Wyatt says

    March 11, 2012 at 12:09 am

    Hi
    I have been working with our local Maritime Museum here in Maryport, Cumbria, England, on the Titanic exhibition which we are staging March to May 2012.
    There is an opening meal of the original first class menu and we are all expected to dress as the passengers would have done. This is the hardest thing for me, as I am a large woman and barely have a waist, let alone the small ones required by most costumes! Your site has given me some great ideas on how I can still dress up without looking awful. Thank you very much!

    • Debbie says

      March 13, 2012 at 9:08 am

      I am so glad this will be very helpful to you. Please send me pictures after the event. I would love to see how it all turns out!

  7. Christine says

    May 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    I am so glad I stumbled on this site. I’m going to The Somewhere In Time weekend again this year Oct. 2011 at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Last year I went with only one dress and this year I would like a couple others and I don’t want to look like everyone else nor do I want to pay hundreds of dollars for a dress. This is very helpful. Now to get ideas for hats.

  8. Meg says

    April 3, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    Wow, this is so cool. I fell in love with ‘Titanic’ as a 16-year-old and it has been my favorite movie ever since. Incidentally, I also covet Rose’s wardrobe and her dresses are my favorite screen costumes ever. Thank you for posting this. I’m going to try it and definitely keep the ideas coming. I know you don’t go as far back as the bustle/hoop era, but those would be beautiful updated as well. Thanks again and I loved your take on these dresses! 🙂

    • Debbie says

      April 4, 2011 at 3:21 pm

      Thank you so much for the kind comment. I have thought about making a Victorian era dress (hoop and bustle) from thrift store clothes. It is pretty easy to do as well. I’ll see what I can do to make a guide for that sooner than later. Thanks!

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